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THE ARMS TRADE AT MACAO AND HONGKONG.
(Daily Press, 9th August.)
[August 12, 1899.
HONGKONG LEGISLATIVE
COUNCIL.
On Tuesday afternoon a meeting of the Hong. kong Legislative Council was held in the Conucil Chamber at the Government Offices, there being present:-
His EXCELLENCY the GOVERNOR (Sir Henry Blake, G.C.M.G.)
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Hon. J. H. STEWART LOCKHART, C.M.G.. Colonial Secretary.
Hon. H. E. POLLOCK (Acting Attorney- General).
Hon. R. MURRAY RUMSEY (Harbour Master). Hon. F. H. MAY, C.M.G. (Captain Super- intendent of Police).
Hon. A. M. THOMSON (Colonial Treasurer) Hon. R. D. OвBMSBY (Director of Public Works).
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THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS-AND
regulate its gistration, the registration system being | vision in the agreement to the effect that Portuguese colony how to
The Hongkong regulation pro- then in force and the owner being made payment of the rent should not cense by affairs. responsible for the use of his premises as reason of any portion of the property being hibiting the export of arms and amnuni- unregistered brothel. The Attorney-senied up for offences against the law, tion, in the absence of any machinery for General (the present Acting Chief Justice) | and the farmer again would make a its systematic euforcement, is little better In 1890, after pointing out that an owner similar stipulation with his sub-tenants, than a dead letter. of property was not to be absolved so that it would be to everybody's interest to from all responsibility as to who occupies avoid any infraction of the law, or if in the his property or what goes on in it hope of gain the risk of breaking the law so long as he gets good profits, went on to were incurred the responsibility would be On the other hand we might have most likely to fall on the actual breakers or on those who either by guilty knowledge or the case of a large company, with a Secre- tary appointed to act for them, and houses neglect allowed the breach to take place. owned by them might fail to be registered although they were ignorant of it. It would be rather a serious thing for them if this clause were put in force against them. I do not know whether the Secretary would have to be sent to prison for six months or whether they would have to The case was send the whole Company." met on that occasion by the introduction of the words "if he knowingly allows the place to be used as a brothel" and "pro- "vided that no prosecution shall be com- "menced against the owner without the fiat "of the Attorney-General." Soon after- wards the registration system was abolished and the liability of the owner in that respect consequently ceased. During the time the law was in force, if our recollection serves us aright, no prosecution was instituted against any owner, or at all events no case was carried on appeal to the Supreme Court to secure a decision as to the actual section, person responsible under the whether the owner of the property, the farmer (in cases where the rent was farmed out); ora tenant who might sub-let a portion of the premises occupied by him. The phraseology of the definition clause leaves room for argument on these points, the words "whether on his own account or "as agent or trustee for any other person leaving it doubtful whether the landlord's original responsibility does not devolve upon his agents or principal tenants in cases where he does not himself let the premises out by single rooms or floors. However that may be, the definition of to stand without was allowed
owner
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challenge when Ordinance 9 of 1897 was passed, but that is not strictly pertinent to the present question, for that Ordinance dealt with the unlawful detention of females and offences against their persons, and the owner only became liable upon proof of guilty Knowledge, in which case the punishment provided was not a fine, but imprisonment and, on a second conviction, whipping. The question at present engaging the attention of the Legislative Council is how premises unlawfully used as brothels are to be dealt with and the responsibility to be thrown on the owner in such cases. We would ven- ture to suggest to the hon. members that they might possibly derive some assistance from perusal of the debates which took place on the 23rd and 30th June, 1890, and we would pecially invite attention to the speech of Mr. N. G. MITOHELL-INNES, at that time Acting Registrar-General, who advocated continuance of the old system, which
A reference which recently appeared in our columns to the arrival of a shipment of warlike stores at Macao bas given offence to our contemporary the Echo Maca- ense, which in its issue of the 6th instant writes as follows:-"In consequence of the prohibition of the export of ammunition "from Hongkong to Macao, the holder of "of_the_gunpowder monopoly in Macao "ordered direct from Germany some thou "sand casks of powder for his trade, and "the steamer currying the same bas arrived. "This simple and natural fact is sufficient to "excite the ill will of our Hongkong con- temporaries, which do not hesitate to say "that the goods will pass into the hands of "pirates and bandits. And the ammuni- “tion which is continually arriving from England at Hongkong and which is sold in some twenty shops that deal in goods "of this description, where does it go? If "the ammunition imported into Macao by a single steamer and on one occasion only "is to have the destination indicated by "our contemporaries, with how much more
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reason must it be admitted that the "ammunition imported at Hongkong and "sold there, which is ten or twenty times greater in amount, must have the same "destination? People see the mote another's eye and see not the beam
It "their own.
was ever thus." can assure our contemporary
Hon. C. P. CHATEE, C.M.G. Hon. Dr. Ho KAI.
Hon. T, H. WHITEHEAD. Hon. E. R. BELILIOS, C.M.G. Hon, WEI A YUK,
Mr. J. G. T. BUCKLE (Clerk of Councils). REVENUE AND COST O OF THE MEDICAL DEPARTMENT. The COLONIAL SECRETARY, in accordance with the request made at the previous meating by the Hon T. H. Whitehead, laid on the table a statement of revenue and cost of the medical department, The statement gave the following particulars:
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Revenue. Medical Treatment of Patients in Hospital, 1895, $15,255.64; 1896, Civil $18,601.69; 1897, $16,021,53; 1898, $26,199.20.
Cost.-Expenditure Government Civil Hos- pital 1995. $64,347.89; 1896, 865,563.94; 1897, $67,034.26; 1898, $63,064.07.
Cost-Expenditure Medical Departments 1895, $74,291.62; 1896, $109,763.19; 1897, $114,978.80; 1898, $115,502.48.
FINANCIAL.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY laid on the table financial minute No. 11, and proposed that it in be referred to the Finance Committee, the meet- ining of which would not be held at the conclusion of that meeting. He also laid on the table We
Anance report No. 3 and proposed its adoption. He explained to His Excellency that at the last meeting of the committee several votes referred to the Finance Committee were not considered on account of some of the unofficial members not being present.
that
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THE EXPENDITURE ON THE NEW TERRITORY, 1MPORTANT STATEMENT BY HIS EXCELLENCY
THE GOVERNOR,
The following is one of the votes submitted
but not considered on account of the absence of
to the last meeting of the Finance Committee, some of the unofficial members
the simple remark that the ammunition would no doubt find its way into the hands of pirates and brigands was made in no spirit of self-righteosness on our part. It is undisputed, we think, that the bulk of the arms and ammunition sold in Hongkong is purchased by or on account of rebels, pira- tes, and brigauds. A few rifles may be oc- casionally purchased by honest people who require them bond fide for their own protec tion, but if those were the only people to be “The Governor recommends the Council to vote a sum of $170,000) in aid of the following votes : supplied the trade would soon dwindle to small proportions. It is from those who-New Territory, $100,000, Plague, $20,000; Mis- prey on honest people that the great demand cellaneous Services (Other), $40,000; Printing, comes. The unusual circumstance of a dir- $10,000; Total, $170,000”
His EXCELLENCY the GOVERNOR, alluding ect shipment of warlike stores to Macao was
to this vote, said As I shall not be present merely noted as indicative of the increasing when this vote of $100,000 in respect of the new extent of this demand. As regards the territory comes before the Finance Committee, supply of arms to pirates and brigauds and as you may like to know what has been done in the new territory, I muy say that you Hongkong and Macao are both in the same boat, and for the one to throw aspersions will remember that in accordance with the Or- upon the other in the matter would be a case dinance it became necessary as soon as we took of the pot calling the kettle black. As to the over this new territory to divide in into dis China Mail's remark, that should Macao triots and sub-districts and to appoint com mittesmen who would have the confidence of "contribute in any way to the lawlessness the people. Immediately after the taking over "of the hinterland of Hongkong, it may be of the now territory the Colonial Secretary "the painful duty of the British authorities devoted himself to this work, and he has to express their strong disapproval, and if been busily engaged ever since in defining thes uo heed is taken of these protests, then, in districts, after personally inspecting them, and in our own defence, the action to be taken recommending the committesmen, of whom may have an important bearing on the there are about 350, after consultation with the people. This arduous duty was only completed "future existence of Maçao as a Portuguese
a fortnight ago by the Colonial Secretary, and "colony" the natural comment is that Hong I may say that at the same time it was neces kong had better set its own house in order besary to make arrangements for land registra to a farmer would insert a pro-fore it begins to teach the neighbouring ...tion and other matters of that kind. All these
to seal up the premises until a bond was given against their being again properly used. In cases where there is a difficulty in settling responsibility as be tween various individuals the system of dealing with the matter in rem has much
recommend it, since it enforces obedience to the law and leaves the parties interested" settle their several responsibilities be- themselves. If that should be the de- rived at by the Legislative Council it that landlords in leasing their
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